About Us

Do you want a safe and amazing trip to Tibet?

You’ve come to the right place. YoWangdu Experience Tibet is the place for simple, safe and ethical Tibet travel planning.

What YoWangdu Experience Tibet is all about

If you’ve wondered:

“How do I travel to Tibet?” and “Who do I trust for help?,” you’re in the right place. YoWangdu is where ethical travelers turn for proven Tibet travel advice. 

Our practical and effective Tibet travel advice is why travelers from all over the world sign up for our free Tibet travel plan:

How YoWangdu helps you feel peace of mind about your trip.

Most people you find on the internet who offer Tibet travel advice are not Tibet travel experts. Usually they are Chinese-owned agencies pretending to be Tibetan. 

Sometimes, they are travel bloggers who have been to Tibet once and now promote trips through the Chinese agencies they found.  

Sadly, they share a lot of inaccurate and sometimes even dangerous information. 

And that’s where we come in.

This website is where we show you the exact tips, strategies and techniques you need for simple, safe and amazing Tibet travel. No fluff or fake advice. Just truly actionable advice that works.

While you are here make sure you sign up for our free Tibet Travel Plan to learn the proven Tibet travel strategies that we’re talking about: 

We’ve helped many people go to Tibet.
Will you be next?

I have now just returned from having two of the best weeks of my life travelling in Kham. It was the perfect tour.

KATRINE LODINGTON, AUSTRALIA

… last year I asked, and you recommended [a] guide service in Tibet. We took the advice and will always be grateful we did. Every day I think of our too short a time crossing Tibet meeting wonderful people, seeing amazing geography and spending deeply moving time in very special places across the country

BROOKS AND DIANE, USA

About Lobsang and Yolanda

Lobsang Wangdu and Yolanda O’Bannon founded YoWangdu Experience Tibet to support local Tibetan people while helping travelers experience real Tibetan culture through travel to Tibet. 

We are dedicated to the preservation and development of Tibetan culture and education. And we are committed to sharing the deep beauty and wisdom of Tibet and Tibetan culture with the world through Tibet travel. 

Lobsang Wangdu

Lobsang is a web developer University of California, Natural Reserve System, experienced Tibetan chef, and digital photographer with many years of volunteer service for the Tibetan Association of Northern California.

He spent over twenty years as a monk training in Buddhist philosophy, and holds a Master’s degree in Madyamika from the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, India.

Lobsang works as a web developer and photographer at the University of California Office of the President’s Natural Reserve System.

Having long dreamed of using his photography and technical skills to run his own business, Lobsang co-created YoWangdu in 2009, with the mission of enabling visitors to experience the joys of Tibetan culture.

Lobsang thrives on making his clients happy with exceptional customer service, and is inspired by the motivation to contribute to much-needed education projects for Tibetans.

The beloved Tibetan cookbook — Tibetan Home Cooking — is based on Lobsang Wangdu’s original recipes, with great help from some friends who are wonderful Tibetan chefs. Lobsang learned to cook at a young age by watching his aunt and uncle in Tibet, and as he grew older, he assisted experienced Tibetan chefs, asking questions while he helped cook.

Lobsang has been making variations on the recipes in Tibetan Home Cooking for well over twenty years, and has acquired a wealth of experience along with his innate passion for making the people he cooks for happy.

Yolanda O’Bannon

Yolanda serves as web producer, writer, editor, and photographer for YoWangdu.

She is a long-time traveler and travel writer, with a special passion for Tibet and Asia.

Yolanda has spent much of her free time in the last 25 years supporting the preservation of Tibetan culture. She has served as either staff or volunteer in a number of Tibetan support organizations, including the Milarepa Foundation, Tibet Online, the Committee of 100 for Tibet and San Francisco Team Tibet.

Yolanda is also a life coach and certified hypnotist who is passionate about helping sensitive women stop the bully in their brain. You can learn more about her work on her website.

Yolanda is formerly the senior executive and editorial assistant to Dr. Bruce Alberts – a U.S. National Medal of Science winner, and formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Science magazine and a United States Science Envoy. In addition, she has worked for years as a web producer. 

Lobsang and Yolanda are married and live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where they love to hike, travel, cook and eat Tibetan food.